NJ can be stressful: But does that stop us from aging well?

New Jersey can be a stressful place to live, despite the many positives this state has to offer. So it's important to take a step back and reflect on what's so great about aging.

This week is Active Aging Week in the United States, a week devoted to celebrating the positive aspects of getting older. And yes, I can definitely see the importance of putting a positive spotlight on this.

With active aging on the mind, one has to wonder. Do we age well here in New Jersey? I mean, there's a lot to love about living in the Garden State. We pretty much can eat whenever we want, or go to not one, but two major cities as just a day trip. And, we have the Shore.

But with just as much there is to love about New Jersey, there's also those things that get under our skin. So how much do those irritants affect our active aging? Let's look at a few things that might cause New Jersians to not age as nicely as a fine wine.

1) Insanely high taxes

This one's a no-brainer. How many of us worry about getting through the week knowing how ridiculously expensive it is to live here? That can't bode well for the aging process.

2) Expensive tolls

Remember when roads were free to travel in New Jersey? Yeah, neither do I. Not to mention how expensive it is to simply go over a bridge just to get to a neighboring state. Along with taxes, let's throw our money away here as well (and no, the GSP will never be free, like we were promised).

3) Costly beaches

Notice a theme here? More with throwing our money away. This time, at our beaches. It's bad enough parking is expensive, but we can't even set foot on the beach without purchasing a beach badge. They claim it's to keep beaches clean, but I'd like to know how other states do it without charging a cent.

4) We're always in a rush

Even our version of slowing down isn't very slow. If we need to get somewhere, we do it quickly. There's no way around it, New Jersey is fast.

5) With all that said, do we actively age well?

Yes, there is a lot of stress that comes with living in the Garden State. But perhaps, those stresses actually make us stronger, and thus, age better? I mean, we stay put for one reason or another, so that's gotta count for something.

Despite how much money we have to spend to live here, let's take this time to reflect on how we can actively age in a positive way in New Jersey. I mean, most of us will never know how to slow down, we should at least enjoy it as we swiftly go about our day.